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2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

R. B. PERKINS. SUSPENSION DEVIGE FOR LAMPS. No. 342,132. Patented May18, 1886.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 2. R. B; PERKINS.

SUSPENSION'DEV'IOE FOR LAMPS.

No. 342,132. Patented May 18, 1886.

(RM be QT?) (Le r. Eda/q Nv PETERS; PiIMwLflhagrnphgr, Washinglon DUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUSSELL B. PERKINS, OF MERlDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO EDWARD MILLER8: COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SUSPENSION DEVICE FOR LAMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 342,132, dated May'18.1886.

' Application filed September 7. 1885. Serial No. 176,385. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, RUssnLL B. PERKINS,Of Meriden, in the county of NewHaven and State of Connecticut, have invented new Improvements inSuspension Devices for Lamps, 850.; and I do hereby declare thefollowing,

when taken in connection with accompanying drawings, and the letters ofreferencemarked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact descrip- 10 tionof the same, and which said drawings constitute part of thisspecification, and represent, in

Figure 1, a vertical central section of the canopy, showing side view ofthe lifting de- [5 vice; Fig. 2, a side view of a portion of the drum,showing the two ends of the divided ring and section of the stud whichprojects inward from the lever to act upon the divided ring; Fig. 3,avertical central section through the drum. 7

This invention relates to an improvement in the lifting device employedin hanging lamps and for other purposes, to adjust-ably suspend the lampso that the lamp may be set at different elevations, the lifting devicebeing a spring arranged to act upon a drum, so that the drum beingturned in one direction winds the spring, then reaction of the springturns the drum in the opposite direction, and in which one or morechains extend from the drum to the thing to be suspended and so thatpulling down the thing suspended, the drum will be rotated to wind thespring, and then the reaction of the spring will tend to turn the drumin the opposite direction and rewind the chains to aid in lifting thedevice. As lamps to be suspended vary considerably in weight, owing tothe construction of the lamp-supporting device, the lamp fount, orshade, or all of them, and as the spring is set at the nianufactory to agiven weight, it follows that variation in the weight of the thingsuspended will affect the adjustment of the weight-that is to say, ifthelamp be so heavy as to overcome the power of the spring, then it willdescend of its own gravity and remain only at the lowest point, but ifthe weight of the lamp be less than the power of the spring then thespring will lift the lamp 5 oand hold it only at its extreme position.To

overcome this variation in the weight of the lamp or thing suspended,frictional devices have been applied to the drum or at other pointswhich must be overcome either in 1 lifting or drawing down the fixture,and this friction being greater than the possible difference between thepower of the spring and the thing to be suspended permits the suspendedthing to stand at any point to which it may 1 be adjusted between itstwo extremes.

The lifting device is usually inelosed by what is called a canopy, andis supported at the ceiling. The frictional device should be adjustablein order that it may be set so as to very little more than overcome thedifl'erence between the thing suspended and the power of the spring, andso that should the thing suspended become lighter or heavier, because ofsome change therein, as in change of shade or change of fount, it isnecessary to change the friction accordingly-that is, to apply greaterfriction as the weight is in creased or reduce it as the weight isdecreased. Such adjustment has heretofore been arranged within thecanopy, and so unexposed that a person under ordinary circumstancescannot conveniently adjust the friction.

The object of my invention is to arrange the device through which thefriction is adjusted at a point outside the canopy, and so exposed thatan inexperienced person may readily adjust the friction; and it consistsin extending the adjusting-screw through the wall of the canopy, so asto bring its head upon the outside of the canopy, and so that turningthe screw by the head so exposed thefriction may be adjusted, and asmore fully hereinafter described.

In illustrating my invention, I show it in connection with my inventionfor which Letgo ters Patent No. 285,668 were granted to the. assigneesin this application September 25, 1883, and in which A represents oneside of the frame, carrying a fixed axle, B, in which a drum, 0, freelyrotates, the spring (not 5 shown) being a coiled spring,one end attachedto the fixed axle and the other to the drum in the usual manner, toowell known to require particular description or illustration. On onehead of the drum is a concentric flange, 1), r0

within which is a divided frictional ring, E, I one end of which is hungto the frame at a.

F is a lever hung to the frame, as at b, and extending downward. Itslower end, (2, rests against a spring, G. 7 Below its pivot a stud, 6,extends inward through an opening in the frame and rests against theother end, f, of the divided ring E, as seen in Fig. 2, and so that ifthe lever be turned in one direction say-to the rightit will force theendf of the ring away from the opposite fixed end of the ring, therebyexpanding the ring and causing it to bear against the inner surface ofthe flange D, and the greater the power applied to the lever the greaterthe friction between the ring E and the flange D. The ring beingstationary,the flange works upon the outer surface of the ring to createthe friction for the purpose of counterbalancing variations in theweight of the thing suspended.

The suspending device is arranged within a canopy, H, of usualconstruction, and so as to be hidden from view, the canopy being of anornamental character.

I is an adjusting-screw extending through an opening, 71, in the canopy,and in line with the adj usting-spring G, which works through a fixednut, 'i, on the frame, and so as to bear against the end of the spring.Outside the canopy the screw is provided with a head, J, by which it maybe conveniently turned.

As the screw is turned inward to compress the spring G, it increases thepressure upon the lever F, and consequently the pressure between theringEand thedrum,andif thescrew be withdrawn the friction is reducedaccordingly.

. The suspending device being properly hung, and the thing to besuspended attached to the cords or chains in the usualpmanner, if thepower of the spring is found to be too' great the screw I is turnedinward to increase the friction. If, on the contrary, the power of thespring is found to be too light, then the screw is turned in theopposite direction to reduce the friction. The screw-head, being exposedoutside the canopy, is readily accessible and indicates its purpose to aperson of ordinary skill and capacity, so that as variations occur inthe weight of the thing suspended, the person readily adapts the fixtureto such variations through the adjusting-screw I, whereas were the screwentirely inclosed within the canopy, and with the lifting apparatus, asin the more general construction, the means of adjustment are notapparent, and a person the frictional bearing of a yielding character,

the screw may bear directly upon the lever, as indicated in brokenlines, Fig. 1.

The divided ring itself possesses a considerable degree of elasticity,and is constructed of a diameter differing from the surface on which itbears, and so that the turning of the lever will bring the surface ofthe ring into frictional contact with the corresponding surface of thedrum, and will therefore react as the screw is turned to relieve thepressure of the lever upon the ring.

I am aware that an adjustable constantlyapplied friction has beenemployed in suspension devices for lamps, and do not wish to beunderstood as claiming, broadly, such a device; but what I do claim asmy invention is as an improvement upon the invention described inLetters Patent of the United States No. 285,668.

I claim 1. In a suspension device for lamps, 850., the combination ofthe supporting-frame, a springdrum arranged therein and constructed witha concentric flange, D, cord or chain on the said drum, the divided ringE, hung by one end to the said frame, alever also hung to the saidframe, the said lever constructed with a bearing against which the otheror free end of the said ring bears, and an adjustable spring at the freeend of said lever, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination of the frame, the springdrum arranged in said frame,cord or chain on said drum, the said drum construct-ed with a concentricbearing-surface, the divided -ring fixed to prevent its rotation andconstructed to bear upon said concentric surface, a lever hung in thesaid frame, the said lever constructed with a bearing to engage saiddivided ring, a spring, and its adjusting-screw at the free end of saidlever, with a canopy inclosing ICC the said suspension device, the saidcanopy constructed with an opening through its side,

and the adjusting-screw extended outward through said opening,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

RUSSELL B. PERKINS.

W'itnesses:

BENJ. KENNARD, GEo. M. OHITTENDEN.

